Trowel holder



Patented June 15, 1943 OFFICE TitoWEL; HOLDER .y

Frank P. Moran, Kansas City, Mo.

Application October 19, 1942, Serial No. 462,568

(Cl. 'I6-82) 2 Claims.

. surfaces instead of smoothing the same. It then becomes necessary to le away the sharp edges until they are restored to their original thickness. Usually the operation of filing away the sharp edges must be performed by the mason while out on a job where means for rmly holding the trowel are not available, so the trowel is usually held with one hand while a lile is manipulated with the other hand. This often results in one or both hands becoming severely cut by coming into contact with the sharp edge being filed, owing to the difliculty of controlling the file with one hand and inability to firmly hold the trowel with the other hand.

The chief object of the present invention is the provision of a device whereby a trowel can be securely held in place during the filing operation, thereby leaving both hands free to manipulate the file, so that the danger of cutting the hands and the time required for restoring the edges of the blade to their original condition can be reduced to a minimum.

A further object is the provision of a simple and inexpensive device of the character above referred to, which can be readily carried from one job to another in a tool box, so that it will be available when needed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device with a trowel clamped in position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts disclosed by Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the parts disclosed by Fig. l.

In carrying out the invention I provide a stock 2 consisting preferably of one piece of wood of quadrilateral form. Obviously the stock 2 may comprise several pieces of wood, or it can be made out of metal. The base 4 of the stock has an offset E which extends longitudinally along the front side or face of `the stock. A slot 8 extends longitudinally between the lower front side of the stock and the upper rear portion of the olset 6, and a groove I0, formed in the front side of the stock, extends longitudinally from end to end of the stock, leaving upper and lower longitudinal abutments II and I3, respectively, at the face of the stock. 'Ihe intermediate portion of the stock 2 is provided with a notch I2, preferably of V- form, which intersects the groove I0 and the abutments II and I3, and extends to the upper surface of the stock.

The trowel shown secured to the front side of the stock 2 is of well-known type for use in smoothing the surfaces of cement walls, floors, or other flat cement surfaces and comprises a sheet metal blade I4 reinforced at its rear side with a longitudinal rib I6 provided intermediate its ends with a rearwardly-extending tang I8 equipped with a wooden handle 20 which extends substantially parallel with the blade I4.

In applying the trowel to my holding device one of the longitudinal edges 22 of the blade I4 is inserted in the slot 8, while at the same time the tang I8 is pushed downward into the notch I2. The rear side of the blade I4 is then firmly drawn or clamped against the face of the abutments I I and I3 by means of a wedge member 24 located between the handle 20 and the rear side of the stock, which is adjusted longitudinally to engage and force the handle backward. The wedge member 24 is provided with a longitudinal slot 26 through which a holding element, such as a screw 28 extends and is screwed into the lower rear portion of the stock 2.

When secured in position upon the stock 2 the upper longitudinal edge 22 of the blade I4 projects above the upper surface of the stock, so that a le held with both hands can be used to file away a sharp edge until such edge is restored to normal thickness. By employing both hands to manipulate the rile, it will be readily understood that the danger of cutting the hands and the time required for restoring the edges of a trowel to normal condition may be reduced to the minimum.

In order to prevent accidental movement of the stock 2 while a sharp edge of the blade I4 is being filed away, the offset 6 is provided with suitable fastening means, vertically disposed screws 30 being shown in the present instance, whereby the stock may be rmly secured to an appropriate support 32, such for instance as the top of a bench.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing, it is apparent that I have provided a trowel holding device which is well adapted for the purpose intended, and while I have shown a preferred form of the device I reserve all rights to such other forms and modications thereof as properly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A trowel holder comprising a stock having a front side against Which a trowel blade can be placed, said stock having a longitudinal groove in its front side and a notch which intersects the groove and extends to the upper surface of the stock, said groove being adapted to receive a rib on the back of the blade and said notch being adapted to receive a tang connecting the rib to a handle of the trowel, and means at the rear side of the stock for pressing backward against the handle and thereby causing the blade to be drawn rmly against the front side of the stock.

2. A trowel holder comprising a stock having a front side against which a trowel blade can be placed, said stock having a longitudinal groove in its front side and a notch which intersects the groove and extends to the upper surface of the stock, said groove being adapted to receive a rib on the back of the blade and said notch being adapted to receive a tang connecting the rib to a handle of the trowel, and a wedge member at the rear side of the stock for pressing backward against the handle and thereby causing the blade to be drawn rmly against the front side of the stock.

FRANK P. MORAN. 

